The present invention concerns both a multiple-stage hydraulic cylinder and a method of using such a cylinder to shift loads by subjecting them to different forces (counterforces) over different distances.
Multiple-stage hydraulic cylinders for shifting loads are basically known. Generic telescoping cylinders as recited in the preamble to Claim 1, however, have a drawback in that, in addition to the space occupied by the cylinder itself, they require additional space for the mechanisms they rest on. Furthermore, all the components of the cylinder must be able to sustain the force generated by every specific stage of the cylinder. When there is a wide difference between the various stages, this peculiarity necessarily complicates the design of the overall cylinder.